Out with the old and in with the new! Parties galore, last minute plans springing into action
and lots, and lots of confetti! Whatever could it be? Goal setting, resolution making and
willpower getting a major work out? With all the change in the air, it must be New Years!
This month in Welcome Home magazine start the New Year off right! Take a look at why
your New Yearâ€™s Resolutions always seem to wind up never resolved. Is one of your
New Year goals to stay fit this year? Let us help you reach that goal by giving you the tips
you need to successfully stay slim this year. And did Aunt Harriet give you something again
this year that you hid in closet and wish would go away? Read all about how to tactfully get
rid of unwanted holiday gifts. This and much more awaits you in our pages!
Please enjoy this issue of the magazine!
Have a resolute January, and as always, Welcome Home!

compliments of

Juan Pesqueira
480-767-6900 · 480-458-8007

Visit My Site
Email Me
8930 E. Raintree #200
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Welcome Home!
Table of Contents
Recipe And Design

4

A tasty recipe and a stylish home design how to.

5
6

Staying Safe and Cozy
Winter storms got you worried? Check this out!.

Sleds For Winter Fun!
Have some fun this season with a sled.

In The Kitchen.
January warmth: Slow Cooker Deluxe Hot Chocolate.

Welcome Home is for entertainment
purposes only. The advise contained
therein is not in anyway intended to
substitute for that of trained
professionals. Please read responsibly.

Businesses That Make A Difference
Tomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shoes, changing the world one pair of shoes at a time.

All pictures courtesy of sxc.hu or bing.com
unless otherwise noted. Thanks to Wikipedia for
Random Fact information and aid.

Editor in Chief - Phly Jambor
The information provided in this publication of
Welcome Home or on any website maintained
by U.S. Cybertek, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries,
divisions, affiliates, agents, representatives,
licensors, licensees or employees (collectively
Publisher) is intended as a general guide
illustrating common methods of common
practices, and the publisher makes no warranty
or guarantee whatsoever of the safety,
effectiveness, or other characteristic of any
methods or products described herein. Neither
does the Publisher assume any liability for
information published in any website or other
publication to which reference may be made
herein. Readers are cautioned to review and
comply with all written instructions, safety
bulletins, and other materials provided in
connection with any of the products mentioned
herein and all products used in connection with
any of the methods described. Neither Published
nor any of its subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates,
agents, representatives, licensors, licensees or
employees shall in any case be liable to you or
anyone else for any loss or injury or any direct,
indirect, incidental, consequential, special
punitive or similar damages arising out of your
use of or failure to use any of the methods and/
or products described in this publication or any
other publication or websites to which reference
may be made herein. Publisher disclaims all
warranties, and any warranty or guarantee of
safety, merchantability, or fitness for any
particular purpose lies solely with the
manufacture(s) of any product described or
recommended or used used in connection with
any methods described or recommended.

Cut a sheet of cardstock in half lengthwise, and
tape ends together to make one long piece.
Fold every 4 inches.
Attach photos with photo corners.
Punch a hole in the back and thread ribbon
through to wrap around the booklet.

Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2010
Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.com

Staying

Safe &

Cozy

Nothing feels better on a cold winter’s day than peeling off frosty winter gloves, soggy socks and
snuggling up to a roaring fire. But these days, the warmth of the family hearth is likely to be an
electric space heater or a digital thermostat. As winter approaches, there is no better time to think
about what to do when an ice storm knocks out your power.
Ice storms and improv
When a winter storm causes an electricity outage, people improvise. They break out the flashlights
and light the candles. They hook up gas space heaters and crank up kerosene stoves. And that’s
when things get dangerous. Safety factors should always be considered before operating any of
these home-heating appliances. While chances of freezing to death in your home are small, there's a
greater risk of death by fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. So exercise caution.
Safety first
All it takes is a little common sense. By following the safety tips outlined below, you can learn to
identify potential hazards associated with the use of home-heating equipment during a power
outage.
•
Keep children away from portable heaters, electric or fuel-powered.
•
Do not burn anything larger than candles inside your home without providing good ventilation
such as open windows.
•
All heaters that run on fuel (natural gas, kerosene, butane, oil) should be vented. The only
exception to this rule is electric heaters.
•
Do not use the kitchen oven or stove top to heat your home. This can be a fire hazard as well
as a source of toxic fumes.
•
Space heaters need their space. Keep anything combustible at least three feet away.
•
When using supplemental portable electric heaters, never use an extension cord.
•
Before purchasing a portable heater, make sure it has "tip switches." These switches are
designed to automatically shut off the heating unit in the event it tips over.
•
Never refill a space heater while it is in operation or is still hot.
•
Only refuel heaters outdoors. Use the type of fuel recommended by the manufacturer, and
follow instructions carefully.
•
Glass doors or a metal screen should be placed in front of your fireplace to prevent sparks or
hot ash from igniting carpets, furniture or other combustible items.
•
Do not burn charcoal designed for indoor barbecues, not even in a fireplace or wood-burning
stove. It releases odorless, yet toxic, carbon monoxide fumes and can cause death.
•
Install smoke alarms that are equipped with a battery back-up in your home. Make sure that
smoke alarms are on every level of the home, as well as near every bedroom in the home.
Test the alarms monthly, and change the batteries at least once a year.
•
Purchase and install a carbon monoxide alarm for your home. Make sure it is marked with the
Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) safety listing. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for
placement in your home.
Exercising caution and using common sense will keep you and your family safe––even in a storm.
Written by Artie Megibben. Courtesy of Articlesbase.com

Sleds For Winter Fun!

Purists may demand old-fashioned winter sleds for picture-perfect sledding, but kids demand speed, speed and more
speed from their sleds, and winter foam sleds, plastic sleds and snow discs give that and more. Manufacturers have put to
good use advances in plastic and foam molding and aerodynamic technology to create a wide range of winter sled options
for young and old alike.

Plastic Sleds and Winter Foam Sleds
Winter sleds have come a long way from the heavy wooden sleds your great grandparents loved. The newer sleds are
manufactured in molded plastic or foam. They're lightweight, easy to carry back uphill or drag behind you on the snow,
and they're relatively inexpensive. Today's winter sleds let you purchase an affordable lightweight sled that's sure to give
you a run for your money!

Toboggans
Toboggans come in many shapes and sizes, but the latest invention is actually an inflatable toboggan that's sort of a cross
between the traditional toboggan shape and an inflatable snow tube. The Chaos Inflatable Snow Toboggan inflates easily
and can accommodate two riders. Plastic runners on the bottom make it especially fun and durable and the inflatable
toboggan is one of the most comfortable on the market. Special crack-resistant material is used on the Chaos Inflatable
Snow Toboggan to protect it from cracking in extremely cold weather.

Snow Discs and Saucers
Snow discs and saucers are round plastic sleds that kids love for their fast ride. The greater surface area of the disc
enables the sled to slide faster, which is the whole name of the game for the kids! But adults can also enjoy a snow disc

Picture

too, as long as they choose one that's large and sturdy enough to carry them. Some snow discs come with steering
mechanisms and brakes. Airhead's Dual Action Snow Disc has both steering abilities and brakes for a smooth,
comfortable ride.

Snow Tubes
Snow tubes come in many shapes; traditional sled shapes, round discs, and others. Some such as the Sportstuff brand of
snow tubes are made with crack-resistant PVS and specially sealed seams for longevity. When shopping for snow tubes of
all shapes, look for a few features to make your sledding time more fun. Handles big enough for mitten-covered hands to
slide under and grab hold ensure a safe rider, while a safety valve makes it easy to inflate the snow tube or deflate it as
needed. Be sure to read the weight capacity for all snow tubes and choose one appropriately sized for its passengers.

Which Sled Is Best?
There are pros and cons to each type of sled, and which one is best depends solely on the typical snow conditions in your
area and the taste of the person choosing the snow toys. Sleds, discs or toboggans with runners on the bottom tend to be
the fastest, but the speed picks up only with repeated runs through the snow. As the sled glides over the snow, the friction
melts a tiny bit of snow, while the cold air freezes it again, creating a narrow track of ice. Runner sleds then glide more
swiftly through the frozen tracks with subsequent runs. Another thing to keep in mind is that the shape of the sled may
limit your sledding options. If you love flopping, or getting a good fast run and flopping down on your belly on the sled
and flying face-first down the hillside, look for rectangular plastic or foam sleds and toboggans or inflatable snow tubes
that are long and narrow rather than disc-shaped. No matter which type of winter sled you choose, winter sleds and snow
toys add hours of outdoor fun for children of all ages.
Written by Holden Adams. Courtesy of Articlesbase.com

Directions:
1. In 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker, combine unsweetened
chocolate, chocolate chips and sweetened condensed
milk; mix well.
2. Cover; cook on High setting for 30 minutes, stirring
every 10 minutes or until chocolate is melted.
3. With wire whisk, stir in 2 cups of the milk until
smooth. Gradually stir in remaining 6 cups milk and
vanilla.
4. Cover; cook on High setting an additional 2 hours or
until hot.
5. Just before serving, stir mixture again with wire whisk.
Reduce heat setting to Low; have guests ladle hot
chocolate into cups and top as desired.

Courtesy of marthastewart.com

Health & Wellness

Zumba
All around the country people are trying Zumba and loving it. It's the newest fitness craze. If you love to dance and
want to get in the best shape of your life, consider Zumba.
The Zumba Discovery: The creation of Zumba was a happy accident. In 1999, celebrity fitness trainer "Beto" Perez
walked into his aerobics class having forgotten his music. Being from Columbia, he had a backpack full of tapes of the
music he loved – traditional Latin music. Beto used the music, improvised the moves as he went along and the Zumba
craze was born.
The program caught on so well he was approached by entrepreneurs who licensed Zumba. You can now see classes
around the world. Kellogg's has even used the Zumba class to market their Special K cereal. It has been features in just
about every major magazine, including Self, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Family Circle and even the Wall Street Journal
and CNN. "As of October 2010, the Zumba® program is being taught at over 90,000 locations in 110 countries, has
sold millions of DVDs" (Source: zumba.com )
Starting Zumba: You can find Zumba classes just about anywhere. They're all around the world. You can find them at
your local YMCA or at a fancy fitness gym. You can also Zumba in your home. There are a wide variety of Zumba
fitness CDs and DVDs. You can Zumba in your kitchen, living room, bedroom or home gym.
Getting started is easy. Simply find a class and sign up. You don't need any extra equipment or gear. Just a pair of
fitness shoes and you're ready to work out. Zumba promises to combine superior fat-burning fitness with a dance party
atmosphere. If you love Latin music, salsa and meringue, then you'll love Zumba.
Ready to Zumba? ;If you're ready to Zumba, grab your shorts and t-shirt and get ready to sweat. Hop online and grab
an at-home Zumba workout DVD or visit their "Find a Class" tool. Chances are there are dozens of Zumba classes
being held right in your community. Grab a friend and get ready to sweat and have fun.
If you want to lose weight and would like to have fun doing it, consider trying Zumba. Millions of people around the
world have reaped the benefits. You can too.
Written by Krishan Bakhru. Courtesy of Articlesbase.com

Procrastination:
How To Overcome It

Procrastination is unfortunately something that a lot of us suffer from regularly, whether it's
just an occasional “put off ‘til tomorrow” or a recurrent lack of drive and motivation.
Procrastination can often hold us back from what we really want in life, and unfortunately, it's
something that can crop up at any time of life, no matter who you are. A lot of people often
assume that procrastination is simply being lazy, but this isn't always the case. Often, feelings
of tiredness, hopelessness, panic or even depression can cause us to put things off and avoid
reality completely.

Procrastination is a trap, and once we've fallen in it can be very difficult to get back out, so
why do we do it? Well for many people, procrastination is simply a way of coping with
emotions and physical symptoms that often come with depression, and can be caused by
panic. The unfortunate truth is that often, a ‘snowballing' effect can happen, you may be
stressed and under pressure at work, then causing you to panic, which may then trigger
depression which in turn can make thing very difficult for you to do. However it happened, it's
important you get out of it, otherwise you may find that nothing will ever get done because
you're too miserable and negative to bring yourself to do it.
There are 5 main style's of procrastination, you may feel that you fall under one mains style,
or a mixture.
•
•
•
•
•

Organization and keeping track of things is very difficult
You fear people disapprove of you, or fear disapproval itself
Important tasks seem futile, and so overwhelming it feels stupid to even attempt them
Hostile feelings towards someone, and punishing them by putting things off
Routines and Schedules cause you to feel rebellious

These styles of procrastination can often also overlap in one of four different themes: Self
Doubt, Discomfort Dodging, Guilt Driven and Habitual. Self Doubt is people who feel that there
are rigid standards about how certain things need to be done and often fear they will fail, they
often second guess themselves and will delay taking action against procrastinating. Discomfort
dodging is when a person will avoid activities that will cause them anxiety, discomfort or even
distress, however, often by dodging the activity, feelings and tension don't go away, and
instead mount due to the avoidance. Guilt driven people often feel extreme guilt when tasks
go done, but instead of acting on their guilt and working, they instead procrastinate, avoiding
the issue and the guilt completely. And finally, Habitual people are people who have found
procrastination to be an automatic response within their lives, they have put things off so
often, that they feel it is just a part of them now, and there is nothing they can do to change
it.
But there are things you can do to change it, and get out of your procrastination cycle once
and for all. The first thing is a simple idea, but it works all the same – make a list! It sounds
ridiculous, but it does actually work. Just go to your local stationary store and get yourself a
large notebook, and make lists and plans for yourself to stick to, prioritize everything on your
list in order of importance, and allocate times for these tasks to be done (1 hour, 2 hours etc).
The key to battling procrastination is organization, by allocating specific times; you're ensuring
that you have enough time to do everything and get it done! If a task is particularly big, then
split it up into manageable time slots, making sure that progress is steady, and you're not
giving yourself too much to do.
However, you also need to create some time for yourself, or ‘reward time'. Reward time gives
you an incentive to get things done, because you know once it's done you can have a break
and reward yourself for your hard work. Procrastination is a tough mountain to climb, but once
you reach the top you're free to reap the rewards of an organized, healthy and happy lifestyle,
as well as the true relief and satisfaction that comes with having nothing weighing you down!

Written by Diana Samalot. Courtesy of Articlesbase.com.

The Single Biggest Mistake
People Make on January 1st

Of all the mistakes you could possibly make on January 1st, there's one
that stands head-and-shoulders above the rest.
Make this one single mistake, and this one mistake alone, come January 1st, and you can pretty
much "write-off" the rest of the year.

What is it?
I'm glad you asked. :-)
Here it is:
Making New Year's resolutions.
Plain and simple.
Now...
What's wrong with making New Year's resolutions,
you ask?
Good question.
See if any of this sounds familiar...
Every year, right around this time of year, millions
upon millions of people sit down and make a list of
*all* the things they're going to start or stop doing
beginning January 1st to change their lives.
Their "laundry lists" usually go something like this...
Starting January 1st, I'm going to:
1. Stop smoking.
2. Stop drinking.
3. Eat better.
4. Lose weight.
5. Start exercising.
6. Work harder.
7. Save money.
8. Get out of debt.
9. Stop arguing with my spouse.

10. Stop yelling at my kids.
11. Spend more time with my family.
12. Read more.
13. Watch TV less.
14. Stop swearing.
15. Stop kicking my dog.
16. Blah...
17. Blah...
18. Blah!
Then...
With the absolute best of intentions...
Come the morning of January 1st...
They hit the ground running...
And...
Usually by noon...
More often than not...
What happens?
You got it...
Crushed by the overwhelming weight of
their newly created self-imposed burdens
they...
Implode...
Or...
Explode...

As the case may be...
And are left once again to utter those immortal words...
"Well, I guess I'll try again next year"...
Starting yet another new year off with a great big
colossal failure to add to their ever growing pile.
Don't let that be you...
Don't set yourself up for failure!
Personally...
Other than its being a holiday, I don't treat January 1st
any differently than I do any other day of the year and I
certainly don't use it, nor any other day of the year for
that matter, to put myself under the intense pressure of
a self-imposed deadline to begin or stop doing
something that I might want to change in my life.
In other words...
I don't set myself up to fail.
If there's something I *really* want to change in my life
and it's in alignment with what's *truly* important to me,
regardless of what it is, I simply incorporate it, without
any time references or restrictions whatsoever, into my
"vision", imagine it as an already accomplished reality,
*my* reality, and allow myself to "grow into it", so to
speak, as the time is right for it to happen.
And...
That's *exactly* what I recommend you do as well!
With that sage piece of advice...
Once again...
I wish you and your loved ones the absolute best of
holiday seasons and a wealthy, healthy, successful,
and happy New Year!

Written by Tony Mase. Courtesy of Articlesbase.com

January Is Soup Month

There is nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of soup on a cold winters day, I guess that is why January
is National Soup Month!
Chicken noodle soup is comforting whether from a can or home made. It has even been said in studies, that
it is good for the common cold just like grandma always said. Why don't you make a big pot of fresh chicken
noodle soup or potato soup for your family and if you have a sick friend or elderly person in your
neighborhood share a bowl with them. Contact your grandmother, mother or aunts and get a copy of your
own family recipe or try the one below.
Simple Chicken Noodle Soup
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 cup uncooked medium egg noodles
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
salt & pepper to taste
Mix broth, salt, pepper, carrot and celery in a saucepan. Heat to a boil. Stir in the noodles and cook over
medium heat about 10 minutes. Stir often. Add the chicken and heat through and serve.
If all else fails you can always heat up a can of chicken noodle soup and curl up under a warm blanket and
enjoy the warmth and comfort that only soup can bring on a cold winters day.
Potato Soup
3 to 4 medium to large potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons butter
Peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces. Put into a large pot and cover with water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of
salt. Boil until the potatoes are tender then add the onion. When the potatoes are cooked add milk and
butter.Do not drain the liquid off when the potatoes are finished cooking. Heat through and add the
shredded cheese. Continue stirring over low heat until the cheese is melted. Add the sour cream. Stir over
low heat until the sour cream has been mixed in completely.
These are two delicious ways to celebrate National Soup Month.

Written by Angela Billings Courtesy of Isnare.com,

Unwanted Holiday Gifts
How To Get Rid Of Them, Without Getting Caught!

The new year is here. It is time to go back
to work, take down the tree, and put away
all the Christmas presents. Well…maybe
not all of the Christmas presents. Did Aunt
Frieda give you a pair of Uncle Freddie’s
unused golf ball-shaped gold cufflinks? Did
Cousin Sarah knit you a pair of socks
better suited to a toddler than your grownup-sized tootsies? Did you receive a gift
card to a restaurant that’s closest location
is 200 miles away? What do you do with all
of these unusable or undesirable gifts? You
don’t want to “look a gift horse the mouth,”
but you certainly want to make the best of
this sad situation. Here are some tips on
how to deal with those gifts you’d rather
not keep.
For gifts that are not handmade or handme-downs, there is always the option of
returning the gift to the place it was
bought. You can often receive store credit
or even cash if you return a gift with a gift
receipt. If you don’t have a gift receipt you
can usually get store credit, at least. Let’s
hope you like that store. One word of
caution. Some sites like Amazon.com will
notify the purchaser when someone returns
an item if the purchaser neglected to mark
the item as a gift upon purchase. That’s a
little tough to explain, especially if you
feigned excitement and gratitude when you
opened the gift. It’s best to call or email to
ask exactly what will happen if you return
an item.

silverware, or anything made out of a
precious metal) for far more than you
would expect. Because of the terrible
economic climate, precious metals are
worth a lot.
One very fun way to get rid of unwanted
gifts is to hold a post-holiday swap party.
Invite all your friends over and have them
re-wrap their unwanted gifts. Serve food
and drinks and have everybody swap the
gifts. Everybody ends up with everybody
else’s bad gifts, but sometimes the
recipient will really like the gift they end up
with. If not, they can either trade with
someone else at the party or they can
follow another one of the tips in this article.
Keep in mind that this swap party is only
fun when the person who gave you the bad
gift is not invited. It wouldn’t be very fun
for them to see their gift to you in the mix.
Of course you can always save the bad gift
until next year, when you can “regift” it, or
better yet, donate it to a charity that might
be able to put it to good use. Rest assured
that you are never stuck with a bad gift.
You have many different ways to get rid of
it.

If you don’t want to take the chance of the
gift-giver finding out that you didn’t like
their gift, you can always try to sell the
item on eBay or craigslist. There is no
guarantee that you’ll get a nibble, but it’s
worth a try and you even have the
potential of earning even more than the
gift-giver paid for the item.
If the gift happens to be made out of a
precious metal like gold, silver, platinum or
palladium you can skip the return and
trying to sell the item on eBay. There are a
number of online refineries that will buy
your unwanted jewelry or cufflinks (or

Written by EM Downing Johnson. Courtesy of Isnare.com

Products To Love In January
One of my all time favorite things are the ever handy
and super friendly Post-It notes! But do you actually
know how they came to be? The Post-it® Note was
invented as a solution without a problem. In 1968 Dr.
Spencer Silver, a 3M scientist, developed a unique,
repositionable adhesive. As remarkable as it was, the
product could not find a market. Six years later,
colleague Art Fry recalled Silver's seminars promoting
the light adhesive when he was daydreaming about a
bookmark that would stay put in his church hymnal.
The rest is history. So the next time you grab one of
these amazing little reminder notes, take a second and
think about it’s day dreamy origins. Please click here

FIE

LD

TE

ST

ED

for more information.

Reviewed by Rural Jungle Testing

Winter is here in full frozen swing and,
sorry, but that sad, tattered excuse of a
jacket you guys were wearing around last
season won’t cut it in this year’s super
frosty weather! So save your self the
headache of shopping and have look at this
perfect coat. This Down Quilted Parka in
Navy from London Fog is sure to please
both your quest for non-popsicle status
and the fashion conscience lady in your
life. It’s a win, win situation. Please click

here for more information.

Over the years, Heuer's reputation for gold-standard
precision earned the company the privilege of
providing official timing services for a number of
world-class competitive sporting events, and now
you can enjoy that same precision as well with the
Tag Heuer Grand Carrera Chronograph Mens Watch
CAV511A.BA0902. Stainless steel case with a
stainless steel bracelet.Black dial with circular
guilloche dial with luminous silver-tone hands and
index hour markers. Luminiscent minute markers
around the outer rim. Scratch resistant sapphire
crystal. Screw down fluted crown. Stainless steel
case back. Hidden folding push button deployment
clasp. Water resistant at 100 meters / 330 feet.

Please click here for more information.

Products To Love In January
Ladies, are you sick and tired of
freezing while trying to look
fashionable in the winter time?
Well your popsicle days are over!
This ultra chic charcoal colored
London Fog Active Wool coat with
faux fur trim will appease both
your fashion sense and you quest
for warmth in the winter. Please
click here for more information.

Whether you're just starting to get in
shape or are a seasoned athlete,
Bowflex's Treadclimber TC3000 Cardio
Machine is a home fitness machine that
offers an array of electronics and features
to push your workout to the next level.
Similar in function to a treadmill, this lowimpact machine is engineered to burn fat
without pounding your joints. It has
unique dual treadles (rather than a single
belt area surface) that rise up to cushion
each step. This design eliminates the
jarring impact of hard, flat surfaces and
reduces the joint and muscle strain that
can be part of other workout machines.

Please click here for more information.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful
Lessons in Personal Change has more than 15 million
copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally
respected leadership authority, realizes that true
success encompasses a balance of personal and
professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual
for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes
are as frequently from family situations as from
business challenges. Before you can adopt the seven
habits, you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a
"paradigm shift"--a change in perception and
interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes
you through this change, which affects how you
perceive and act regarding productivity, time
management, positive thinking, developing your
"proactive muscles" (acting with initiative rather than
reacting), and much more. Please click here for

more information.

City Spotlight

Billings, MT

Billings is one of the most
wonderful cities to visit in
Montana, United States.This is
because it offers some of the most
prominent and marvelous
attractions. It is one of the fastest
growing cities of the state. This
beautiful city is located in the
south-central part the state. This is
the county seat of Yellowstone
County with a population of more
than 100,000 according to the
estimation of Census Bureau of
2008.
The city of Billings was established
in the year of 1877 and also around
the town of Coulson in Montana in
the year 1882. Since the town of
Coulson was situated in close
proximity to the Yellowstone River,
it made it an ideal location for the
commercial trade. Considering the
development of the railroads, the
Montana & Minnesota Land
Company ignored Coulson giving
birth to planned town of Billings.
The development of two main
commercial streets along the
railroad tracks which were later
named as Montana and Minnesota
avenues, the city rapidly developed
and grabbed the title â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Magic
Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.With the end of World War II,
the city of Billings emerged and
flourished as a major financial,
cultural and medical center of the
region.This city noticed a short
decline in the population because of
the oil crisis which was rebounded
by the year 1980.
The city is now one of the most
prominent financial, agricultural
and commercial centers.
Billings offers a range of attractions
that will surely mesmerize you with
their exotic beauty. The must visit
attractions of the area are Glacier
National Park and Yellowstone
National Park which are very
popular among the tourist coming
from all over the world to visit

Montana.One can also visit The
National Bison Range which is a
unique wildlife hideout in United
States.
Glacier National Park is often
referred as the crown jewel of the
national park system for its
excellent glacier settings. This park
offers great and incredible beauty
of steep and high mountains with
deep valleys and several lakes. Park
offers some small glaciers such as
Grinnell Glacier and many more
which can be easily reached. There
are many glaciers which are
situated at very remote and rugged
ends of the park and are quite
difficult to reach and hence not
much visited.
Another must visit attraction is
Yellowstone National Park widely
known for offering fly fishing
along with marvelous scenery and
wildlife.This beautiful national
park exhibits several rivers offering
an excellent experience of fly
fishing.
The wildlife of the park is the thing
which can only be experienced. It
exhibits herds of Elk which are
found throughout the park with the
herds of wild Buffalo. Grizzly
Bears, Wolves and many other
animals can be often seen in the
park.
Billings offers a range of luxury
and budget hotels for making your
tour comfortable and convenient.
These hotels are meant for
providing excellent facilities and
amenities. These hotels are
generally equipped with TV,
telephone, coffee & tea makers
along with refrigerators and
internet accessibility. One can also
find cheap accommodation in form
of cheap hotel rooms even around
Yellowstone National Park and
other attractions of the city.
Written by David Urmann, courtesy of Isnare.com

DIY Project - December

Courtesy of asplendidassembeage.com

Businesses That Make
A Difference

One for One. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the way it
works at TOMS Shoes. For every
single pair of shoes purchased
another pair of shoes will be given to a
child that does not have any. Amazing
and so completely simple!
This brilliant idea is the brain child
of American entrepreneur Blake
Mycoskie. While traveling in Argentina

Rather than starting a charity,
Mycoskie made the decision to start a
business because he believed more
children could be helped that way. To
date TOMS has given away more than
150,000 pairs of shoes to children in
need all over the globe, including the
U.S. Their goal for this year is 300,000
pairs shoes, that TOMS volunteers in
person, put on a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet.
in 2006 he noticed that the children
he befriended did not have shoes.
Not having shoes kept many children
from receiving medical care, food,
water and even shelter because they
could not walk the distance needed
to obtain it and their ability to attend
school is also effected, because
shoes are a required part of many
schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uniform codes.

This month's random fact introduces us to a familiar favorite legume, in a fascinating new light! Which one in
particular you ask? Why the Black-eyed Pea, what else? And before we go any further with our facts, let's set one
very important one straight. The black eyed pea, is not in fact a pea at all! It is a BEAN. That's right, not a pea, a
bean. Think Pinto or Lima!

Where are they from you ask? This tasty calcium and fiber packed bean was introduced to the Southern United
States sometime in the late 1600's and originally hails all the way from India! We have an ancient babylonian
mistranslation to thank for the Jewish belief that they bring good luck when eaten. Technically you would have to
eat fenugreek to become lucky....Yep, I did say fenugreek.... Personally I'm sticking with the bean. The American
tradition dates back to the Civil War era and we actually have a bunch of snobby Northern Soldiers to thank for it!
During the Civil War the northern side scavenged the south for food during the fighting taking everything they good
that they considered "edible" and destroying everything else. They stuck their noses up at this paragon of nutrition,
deciding that it was not even worth the trouble to destroy! Then called "field peas" but the Northerners, they were
deemed only usable for animal feed or "humble food" and therefore not worth their attention. Southerners consider
them to be good luck the North would not touch them and the practice of ingesting them for luck got it's start.

So, whether you eat them because you are Jewish and your ancestors translated it the wrong way or because it will
keep the Northerners from overrunning your home (though I seriously doubt that Canada has any real interest in
invading) having a serving of black eyed peas for good luck can't hurt anything, and might even help at least a little
with that New Year's Resolution to lose that last pesky ten pounds that you put back on over Christmas!